Details of Justin Welby's meeting with Mr Ruto were not disclosed.

But Mr Welby tweeted that it was "good to meet Mr Ruto" and that he was "praying for peaceful, open and credible elections on 9 August".

Mr Ruto is on the final leg of his tour in the US and UK as he bolsters his bid for the presidency.

On Monday he gave an address at Chatham house in London on Kenya's forthcoming elections.

The deputy president has been sidelined by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is supporting Mr Odinga as his possible successor.

Opinion polls carried by local media show Mr Ruto as the front runner in the presidential race but without the legal threshold of over 50% support for a first round win.